What do you know about Jackie Robinson? Well, Jackie was one of the most important people involved in the Civil rights movement. He broke the color barrier between blacks and whites in Major League Baseball.

      Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. His mother and father were Mallie and Jerry Robinson. His father Jerry left when Jackie was only a few months old. Jackie had 3 brothers named Frank, Edgar, and Mack, he also had a sister named Willa. Jackie was the youngest of them. But he had to take care of his mother Mallie. He was a bit of a troublemaker as a kid. He went to Jon Muir High and was a four sport athlete, Basketball, Baseball, Football, and Track and Field. He was also a four sport athlete at Pasadena Junior college and UCLA. He was the first four sport student athlete.

Jackie played Baseball in the Negro Baseball League for the Kansas city Monarchs and dominated. Finally a General Manager in Major League Baseball had the courage to try and bring an African-American into Baseball. His name was Branch Rickey General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He signed Jackie Robinson to play for the Dodgers minor league team. And when he was playing well he finally brought up to the pros. But white fans did not give him a warm welcome. He was booed, taunted, insulted by fans, opposing players, and managers. He was even hit by pitches many times and was sent death threats. He played 1st base his rookie year because of the vacancies at his normal positions 2nd base and shortstop. But the pain he endured took so much strength and will power not to fight back. He could of fought back, been kicked out of baseball, and no one would know who he is today, but he didn’t fight back. Jackie just laid out his frustrations on the field by being a great batter, a great fielder, and an even better base runner.

Jackie Robinson died October 24, 1972. He suffered a heart attack at 53 years old at 7:10 A.M. He is remembered for being the first African-American baseball player and for breaking the color barrier between blacks and whites in Major League Baseball. We honor him every year on Jackie Robinson day where every player in Major League Baseball wears number 42 on their jersey. That number is retired now so no other player in baseball can wear that jersey except on Jackie Robinson day (Mariano Rivera was the most recent and last player to wear 42, he retired this year).

Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, was the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball, and probably the most mentally strong man in history.